Cantilever-type vehicle lifts typically employ a lift mechanism such as a hydraulic lift cylinder in or around a vertical column, which requires the vertical column to have undue width to accommodate the lift mechanism and results in the lifting mechanism and all the moving parts associated with it being in the area of the vertical column, which is undesirable. In addition, currently available cantilever lifts employ a raised edge on the platform that gives it longitudinal strength, but it is a tripping point and very awkward to walk around. Another drawback of most current cantilever designs that use a common column is that the sliding portion for each side is affixed to the column on that side of the column. The columns are generally made with a sliding area, if using plastic slides, or a rolling area if using rollers, on each side of the column. The front and back sliding areas are then connected together with a single center connection piece. The problem with this arrangement is that the force placed on the sliding area by the cantilevered load of the platform causes a twisting movement that pivots about the center connecting piece in the column. In addition, current cantilever lift devices do not allow the platform to sit flat on the ground in circumstances when the ground is sloped.
Thus, there is a need for a cantilever parking lift system that addresses these drawbacks.